William W. Crouch
Encyclopedia
General William Wright Crouch (born July 12, 1941) is a retired United States Army four star general, and former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
.
, California
. He attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy
and graduated from Claremont Men's College with a degree in Civil Government. He holds a Master's Degree in History from Texas Christian University
.
Crouch commanded soldiers at every level from platoon through army. He began his service in 1963 as a cavalry platoon leader in the 5th Infantry Division. He went on to command four companies, two of which were cavalry troops in combat. His subsequent commands included a cavalry squadron, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 5th Infantry Division, where he had started as a platoon leader. He also served as Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army and Chief of Staff United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea
.
He assumed command of U.S. Army Europe on December 19, 1994, and assumed command of Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT) on February 15, 1996, and was its first American since its establishment in 1993. He served as Vice Chief of staff from 1997 until his retirement in 1998.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
and the U.S. Army War College
. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
, the Silver Star
, the Legion of Merit
and the Bronze Star
.
Crouch's wife, Vicki, also a native of Southern California, attended Scripps College
, as did their two daughters Cami and Cathi. The Crouches have two grandchildren, Chris and Elizabeth, and reside in Colorado.
were appointed by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen on October 19, 2000 as co-chairmen of the Department of Defense's Cole Commission
to investigate the bombing of the USS Cole
. He has also served on the board of directors of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, and since May 2005 has served on the board of Directors of FLIR Systems
. He is also a Senior Mentor with the Leadership Development and Education Program for Sustained Peace at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School, serves on the board of the Keck Institute for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College
, and sits on the advisory board of Isilon Systems
.
Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army is the principal advisor and assistant to the Army Chief of Staff, the second-highest ranking officer in the US Army. He handles the day to day administration of the Army bureaucracy, freeing the Chief of Staff to attend to the interservice...
.
Military career
Crouch was born on July 12, 1941 in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He attended the San Diego Army and Navy Academy
San Diego Army and Navy Academy
The Army and Navy Academy is an all boys, college preparatory boarding school for boys in grades 7-12 in Carlsbad, California. It complements its program with a West-Point style, JROTC program.-History:...
and graduated from Claremont Men's College with a degree in Civil Government. He holds a Master's Degree in History from Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
.
Crouch commanded soldiers at every level from platoon through army. He began his service in 1963 as a cavalry platoon leader in the 5th Infantry Division. He went on to command four companies, two of which were cavalry troops in combat. His subsequent commands included a cavalry squadron, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 5th Infantry Division, where he had started as a platoon leader. He also served as Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army and Chief of Staff United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea
United States Forces Korea refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States armed forces stationed in South Korea....
.
He assumed command of U.S. Army Europe on December 19, 1994, and assumed command of Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT) on February 15, 1996, and was its first American since its establishment in 1993. He served as Vice Chief of staff from 1997 until his retirement in 1998.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
and the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States...
, the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
, the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
and the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
.
Crouch's wife, Vicki, also a native of Southern California, attended Scripps College
Scripps College
Scripps College is a progressive liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California, United States. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps ranks 3rd for the nation's best women's college, ahead of Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, and Bryn Mawr College at 23rd on the list for...
, as did their two daughters Cami and Cathi. The Crouches have two grandchildren, Chris and Elizabeth, and reside in Colorado.
Post military career
Crouch, along with retired Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr.Harold W. Gehman, Jr.
Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr. is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic , Commander-in-Chief of the United States Joint Forces Command, one of the United States' Unified Combatant Commands, and Vice Chief of Naval Operations...
were appointed by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen on October 19, 2000 as co-chairmen of the Department of Defense's Cole Commission
USS Cole bombing
The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...
to investigate the bombing of the USS Cole
USS Cole (DDG-67)
The second USS Cole is an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis-equipped guided missile destroyer homeported in NS Norfolk, Virginia. The Cole is named in honor of Marine Sergeant Darrell S. Cole, a machine-gunner killed in action on Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945, during World War II...
. He has also served on the board of directors of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, and since May 2005 has served on the board of Directors of FLIR Systems
FLIR Systems
FLIR Systems is a thermal imaging systems manufacturer based in Wilsonville, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1978, the company makes thermal imagers, thermal imager components, as well as larger systems containing thermal imagers along with other sensors, for both commercial and military...
. He is also a Senior Mentor with the Leadership Development and Education Program for Sustained Peace at the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School, serves on the board of the Keck Institute for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college and a member of the Claremont Colleges located in Claremont, California. The campus is located east of Downtown Los Angeles...
, and sits on the advisory board of Isilon Systems
Isilon Systems
Isilon Systems, a division of EMC, is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA and sells clustered storage systems and software for digital content and other unstructured data, which includes but is not limited to video, audio, digital images, computer models, PDF files, scanned information, and...
.